Dwindling Ashes
by TMI2011
Summary: It is said that the hottest part of a flame burns a deep, entrancing blue. But where is the moment in which the blue transitions from a fiery core to alarmingly-cold spirit? After all, flames can only continue to ignite as long as there's oxygen. WP/OC.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sky High nor do I make profit from this fanfiction. Any characters/plot references from the film are owned by Disney.**

Sinister. It's what one expects to see and feel on Halloween night. Children and adults alike are disguised and stirring up trouble. For some of those in the area tonight, it would also mean a chance for extended freedom. Young super heroes tended to be less worried about using their powers in public. Small incidents with citizens could be written off as a special effect and/or part of an elaborate costume. Getting some of these teens to remember the keyword is "small" was the hardest part, however.

Take for instance 18-year-old Warren Peace. His goal wasn't to attract attention as he sat on the staircase, but when one keeps flickering giant flames back and forth between his hands like a juggling act—well, it's a much harder sell. So when a small group of rowdy young women started to quiet down as they approached, it was no surprise not all of them bought the "hidden trigger" excuse he muttered when questioned about it.

"I could feel the heat from here."

"It looked so realistic."

"Why do that where not everyone could see it? I'm too short. Start it up again!"

"Girls", shouted a cloaked woman towards the back of the group. "Honestly. Do you want to sit here and play guessing games all night or go on to the next party? Deb's waiting 3 streets down. Let's get a move on all ready."

Giggles and raunchy comments filled the air as Warren tried to subtly make his way back toward the front door of his apartment building. Maybe he was pushing his luck too much tonight. Spending the earlier part of the evening with some fellow seniors had loosened him up quite a bit—well, as loose as he got, that is. The last thing he needed was his mother stumbling upon this situation in the news. He may not live with her anymore, but the man on the first floor was always looking for something snide to say when she visited on the occasional weekend. Citizens can make things way too complicated sometimes.

"You really do need to work on your subtlety, kid. All it takes is one wrong comment."

Her brown eyes were filled with mirth now that her hood was lowered. She seemed to be the least-inebriated of her group. Giving him a wink as her friends walked off a few feet in front of her, she allowed small flames to dance at the ends of each of her fingers. She swept her hair up into a bun as the flames melted back into wisps of smoke before disappearing completely.

"_Blend in_ or you'll never last as a super out here. There are too many citizens and rogue heroes trying to find a way to cash in on someone else's success."

"Flare."

Warren's eyes widened in shock—which was not sometime he could say he did often. But this was her. The one pyro he been following extensively since his sophomore year. Flare was her alias. Nothing too fancy, but it was enough to get the message across. She was still managing to work solo these days even though she had only been his age when she sprung up on the scene. She never bothered attending Sky High. Which, up until last year, Warren didn't even know was possible. Of course, even if he had known it's not as if his mother would ever have let him escape it. He could "be as much of a lone wolf" as he wanted "as long as that report came back with nothing less than a C+".

"You're Flare. I recognize that scar on your ear."

Tilting her head back as she let out a soft breathe of annoyance, her brown eyes regarded him softly. Her sneaker-clad feet did an about-face before she strolled up to him quickly and spoke sharply, "Blending in; it's a pretty easy to understand phrase. You know, not saying or doing things that will draw unneeded attention to you. For example, I tell you not to wave flames around in your hand. Or, you being a super, realize how ignorant it is to state the alias of a fellow super in disguise. You get it now?"

Warren chuckled to himself and replied, "You don't pull off anger well."

Flare lazily dragged a hand up to his face and flicked his nose.

"Sweetheart, you'd be bald as a bat if you were ever stupid enough to get me angry. It's always the quiet ones anyhow. Tell me, are you going to the Jensen deal?"

The deadpan look on Warren's face said it all. Grinning as she took off her cloak and folded it over her left arm, Flare took a quick peak over her shoulder. Her slightly-intoxicated friends were already approaching the next block. She doubted if they had noticed her absence yet. Returning her focus to the person in front of her, she studied the teenager carefully. There was no doubt he was definitely a few years her junior. Not even a college freshman would be idiot enough to do that kind of power display in the open around citizens—holiday or not.

He had that cocky air of a Sky High pedigree. She couldn't hold back the mental snort at that thought. Man did people around here hold those students in such high regard. Was the school really all that impressive? She managed just fine at a citizen high school and playing around on her own. Sure, she was from a set of citizen parents. However, that didn't mean she was completely ignorant when it came to masking her "gifts". Common sense had proven time after time if you can burn something at will, people will try to cause trouble for you because of it. She had enough problems just being a teenager, why would she have willingly made it even harder for herself?

Today's world was a world of romanticizing the hero. Turn on the television and all the news did was give play-by-plays on different supers' latest events. They were the new reality stars. The public didn't care if it was true. No, they just wanted to know what colors are the trends for super hero uniforms so they could buy matching clothes. Honestly, even she had a citizen fan club. Not by choice. One day she received a letter in the mail with a bunch of signatures and it was a done deal. The guy in front of her didn't remind her of the typical fan boys she had to deal with, so she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Smiling more naturally, she bumped her hip with his and cracked up when he glared slightly after processing her last response.

"Okay. Obviously you didn't get the memo. 'Jensen deal' is slang for citizen-super mixer—only not. You'll understand when we get there. But before that, I need to see some ID."

Warren continued to frown, but started to pull out his wallet.

"Why exactly am I showing you my ID?"

Flare grinned. "Well, if you plan on escorting me to a party—I want to know you're of age. Not to mention, I want to know you have a license on you if you're driving me somewhere. Laws to stick to and all, you know?"

How the heck did she assume a) he had a car and b) he would want to take her anywhere? Warren laughed to himself. Who was he kidding? This is his favorite super hero. Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. She was a little bit more aggressive than the television portrayed, but that was kind of attractive if he really admitted it. Staring at his license for a second, he passed it over to her for inspection. Digging into his other pocket for his keys, a mischievous grin popped up on his face.

"You know, I really should ask the same of you. After all, the media likes to alter facts a bit. How do I know you aren't lying about your age?"

His eyes watched as her eyes flickered up from his license for a second. With a very slight nod, she silently passed him back his license and slipped her hand inside her corset. Whipping out a handful of cards, she shuffled between them until her hands drew one away. Slipping the rest back into her top, she waved the ID around between her pointer and middle finger.

"I'll show you this license in confidence. But as you said, the media likes to alter facts. The only thing I will promise is true is the birth date. Anything else is subject to circumstance. But if it makes you feel better, it's all the same to me."


	2. Chapter 2: A Little Smoke

**Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing. Just a piece of innocent fanfic I make nothing off of. Sorry for the delay. I just grew too busy with things offline for a bit. Enjoy! **

"What's she up to now?"

Angling her head so she could see around the corner, Collette observed her identical twin with a slight frown. Taking in the sight of the two figures across the street she finally looked back to answer her friend's question.

"I don't know, but I'm about to find out. Go on and let the others know I needed to rain check. I don't trust her to leave this alone."

As soon as the other girl nodded, Collette made another peek around the corner. Why the heck was she showing that kid some sort of identification? Snapping her fingers, a flicker of fire white as snow crept down her body until it made contact with the concrete. Turning a dark grey, it sped towards the car the two were now entering. Unbelievable. Not only was she compromising their secrecy, but actual leaving with the idiot? Only when the flame had wrapped itself around the bumper did she take a quick peak around her. The coast was clear and she evaporated into a cloud of smoke that followed the same path as her flames. With the car's engine starting up, the smoke could be written off as exhaust fumes.

The car ride was silent as they made their way to the party. Every so often Flare would mutter directions under her breath and Warren would nod in reply. As they made the final stretch, Warren peered out his side view mirror and noticed an unusual amount of smoke coming from the back of his car. Pulling the car over suddenly, he switched on his hazard flashers.

"I'll be right back. Need to check the trunk real quick."

Flare arched an eyebrow, but just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just make it quick."

Squatting down to the exhaust pipe, Warren's hand brushed through some of the smoke. An unusual sensation slithered against his wrist making him snap his hand back for a minute.

"What the heck was that?"

A serious look crossed his face as his hand made contact with the bumper for a minute. The sensation started up again as he saw a small black flame wrap around his wrist. Glancing up towards the front of the car, he could just make out Flare's eyes in the rear view mirror. She mouthed something he couldn't make out before shaking her head again and taping at her wrist sharply. Sighing, Warren decided he'd investigate more later.

"I may like this chick, but damn is she impatient."

"What happened to your arm?"

Flare's eyes had instantly locked on the appendage when he entered the car. Grabbing it tightly, her face grew dark. Lighting a finger, she ignored his protests and held it near the black mark. At first nothing happened. Then slowly, as though just awakening from a deep sleep, the black flame rose lightly around his skin. It wouldn't separate completely, but just enough to show it wasn't a natural part of him.

"That b—"

"Now, now, sister. No need for the bad language."

A soft laugh rang through the car.

"Who the hell is that?"

Warren had pulled his arm out of the rough grip at this point. Eyes moving between Flare and the passenger seats, he was starting to get angry.

"Collette, where do you get off—"

Flare's hands were smoking.

"Once again, no need for the lip."

The twin wouldn't change back, but her voice rang clearly in the car as though she were lying in the back seat. Some of the smoke from the exhaust was pouring into a seat. An almost ghostly form of Collette could now be seen with an expression that could only be described as both a grin and glare. Eyes focused on Flare, she blew a kiss before hissing, "Where did you get the idea of joining some fan boy in his car?"

"You're twins" was all Warren could mutter. "But how is that? Flare doesn't have siblings."

Flare reached a hand out towards the ghoul and sneered as white flames licked at her fingers and burned them lightly. The girl just had to make an appearance. Ever damn time she tried to relax she had to interrupt everything. Turning back around in her seat, she popped off her seat belt and opened the door.

"Sorry lover boy, looks like this is where we part. You know the last of the directions. See you if I see you. As for you, go for a swim."

"Love you too, sis."

Collette continued grinning as Warren reached over to shut his car door. He was another pyro. Well, that explained a lot. When her flames had wrapped around his wrist, she could feel his power. It was absolutely delicious. Deciding to ignore the situation with her twin for the time being, she allowed herself to solidify again and crawled into the vacated front seat.

"Warren. Pleasure to meet you, pet. I'm your new buddy, Collette."


	3. Chapter 3: Going Out With a Flare

**Disclaimer: Yep. Still don't own anything. What can I say? Just not my luck, it seems. **

**Author Note: Here's the next chapter where we get a little more insight into Collette as well as a bit of a twist. Thank you all for the interest, by the way. Was quite flattered by the number of hits to this story. Enjoy and constructive reviews are both appreciated and welcomed!  
><strong>

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><p>Shaking her hand hesitantly, Warren looked back in the direction Flare stormed off. Something told him he really should have just stayed at home. Girls always complicated things. If there was one thing Sky High had taught him, it was that. The black flame around his wrist seeped back into the skin, causing him to tense in discomfort. What the hell was this anyway?<p>

"Like my little gift? Flare's just jealous she can't do that."

"You call your sister by her alias? I already saw her license."

Collette laughed loudly and shook her head. "You don't actually buy that information, do you? Please don't tell me my pet is actually that stupid. Which one did she show you? Amy? Elizabeth? Or my favorite—Amelia Bernstein? I swear, she had no creativity when it comes to names."

"Not like Collette's any better…"

The girl's eyes flashed a deep amethyst for a second as the flames tightened painfully around his wrist. It felt like someone was pressing down on his pulse. Chuckling at the growing angry expression on Warren's face, she flicked his nose lightly.

"Relax, sweetheart. It's nothing personal. Of course she showed a fake ID. Ever she isn't stupid enough to reveal something that important on the first date. Start the engine back up, drive the few blocks, and let's get our party on!"

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><p>The Jensen deal was swarming with young people. This particular party was occurring at a private apartment complex. These guests were wearing top of the line costumes—nothing homemade or cheap about it. Probably because the majority were wearing official uniforms. Well, the heroes at least. The citizens were children of important officials; the kind of people who knew the need for discretion, but also the clout of interacting in these circles. Collette could see Flare's identical violet locks in the crowd as Warren's car pulled to a stop. Slipping a card out of her bra, she scanned it briefly before nodding to herself.<p>

"Warren, this is going to sound weird, but just hear me out. When you get inside, find my sister and tell her one word—yellow. You do that and I'll consider taking that flame from around your wrist."

He glared at her for a minute. Grabbing her arm, he sneered, "Why the hell should I listen to you? All you've done is cause trouble so far. And what the hell is on my wrist? I deserve some kind of answer, woman. This expectation you have of me being quiet and playing along is over. You aren't the only one here with powers."

Lighting his arms up as if to prove his point, Warren growled when Collette simple changed her form again and waved. In her smoky form, her hand ghosted up to his cheek. Tracing the edge of his jaw, her expression grew blank.

"You can flaunt your powers all you want, kid. This isn't a high school dance. Here, you aren't anyone special. Just another kid with powers. A dime a dozen. And the next time you think you can make a threat, make sure you can follow it through."

Both of their eyes snapped to his wrist as the black flame extended up his wrist to his elbow. It looked like a tattoo of a bracer at this point—armor that would guard him against some unknown foe. Collette's stoic expression remained as she vanished.

"Remember, it kid—yellow. You're life might depend on that word."

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><p>Flare, who at this point had moved into one of the apartments to socialize, watched the black flames wrap around her ankle. Sighing in frustration, she ignored it for the time being. This wasn't the time or place. She was already regretting even talking to Warren. This would not end well no matter how she spun it.<p>

"Amelia! How wonderful to see you here tonight! How's that back of yours doing?"

Damn. Smiling falsely, she turned around to the guy waiting for her reply. Evan was a citizen ex-boyfriend of hers. While they parted mutually, he was far more interested in maintaining their friendship than her. But when she needed an alias, he was perfect. He didn't ask a lot of questions and a couple of dinners now and then kept him quiet. She knew how horrible that sounded, but she had learned her lesson long ago not to trust a citizen with more than the basics.

"Evan. Nice to see you as well. It's doing all right. Screwed up my tattoo a bit, but I'm getting that fixed soon anyhow."

Evan nodded in understanding.

"That's too bad about the tattoo. I know how much you loved it. Is it a lot of work, or-?"

"Luckily, no. One of the flames is a little off, but nothing a little ink can't fix."

"Ink really does solve everything, doesn't it?"

Flare's eyes rolled at Collette's arm resting around her shoulder. Giving Evan a cold smile, she pulled her twin away without explanation. Pulling the other girl towards the bathroom, she didn't say anything until the door was locked. Both women at this point didn't bother hiding their hatred of each other at this point. Orange and white flames erupted from their hands as they glared each other down.

"You plan on telling me why you decided to follow me?"

"Want to explain what business you had dragging another pyro into this mess?"

"He was cute. Shoot me."

"You know how dangerous it is to be around another pyro. What the hell, Flare? This isn't new to you. If I hadn't placed that flame on him…"

Flare's hand slammed down on the counter at this point. Both arms were covered in flames.

"That was completely unnecessary and you know it. I wasn't going to do anything to him. I figured I'd give him a night to party and he'd return to his happy little high school feeling cooler than he was before. You may be the one with the better powers, but I made you famous. Not the other way around."

Collette stepped closer until there were only a couple inches left between their faces. Sliding a hand under the girl's shirt so that her fingers rested against the large back tattoo, she allowed her white flames to flow into it. The ink seemed to melt as the flames consumed it. This continued until the skin was completely bare.

"Don't talk to me about fame. I never wanted it and wouldn't have used you unless absolutely necessary. Those are my memories in your pretty little head. Those are my flames flowing through you poor excuses of veins. I made you. Not the other way around."

Removing her hand from the skin, her eyes grew that deep amethyst again. Her collapsing doppelganger fell to the ground with a soft shriek. Collette's expression never changed. She waved her hands in front of her as if they were wet. The flames covered the body in front of her until nothing remained but the clothes and a small piece of clay. Quickly discarding her current outfit in the trash, she put on the other clothes.

Then she took a few moments to study the clay. Amazing how a simple project from a friend could allow this. She'd have to ask for the next decoy to be less feisty. Honestly, going off getting inebriated and flirting? That was not her in the least bit. And now she had a teenage male pyro to deal with. Fantastic. He'd be asking questions she didn't feel he deserved the answers to.

It wasn't a lie when she said his power was delicious though. Her curious side couldn't help but wonder if he truly knew what he was capable of yet. That school probably played it down a lot. Schools had a habit of doing that. Maybe she could allow herself a bit more fun before she ditched this place. Looking up into the mirror, she held the clay to her ear where that scar was supposed to be. Her eyes stayed on the clay as her body temperature increased and it melding into her skin. With a deep breath, her body shifted to smoke and oozed out of the room.

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><p>Where did she go? Warren couldn't believe how livid he was. One minute after another and things just kept making him angry. No answers. Orders from some psycho twin of his favorite hero. And now a bunch of prissy citizens. Oh, he recognized a number of them all right. Always talking about how their families contributed to certain heroes. Showing their support how they could. How about staying the hell out of the way so others could do their job? Hmm…sounds too easy. No, I'll just beg daddy to donate a few grand so I can be photographed with every hero in the area.<p>

His shirt was smoking. He couldn't afford to have to replace another one this week. Too much of his paycheck was going to replacing clothes. It was getting old fast. Surprisingly, these heroes weren't cooler in real life like he thought they'd be. Reminded him of his mom in all honesty. And who wants to hang out with a bunch of people like their mom? Not Warren Peace. Screw that.

Weaving through the crowd, he kept his eyes open for Flare. Why he was fulfilling Collette's request he would never know. Yellow. Was that supposed to be some sort of code word? Was this some sort of mission? After all those assignments in school, he could see something like that happening. Looking at those he was passing a little closer, Warren's stance grew more serious. Yeah. Maybe he was getting his first taste of undercover work…on Halloween…at a block party.

Just as he was about to go down another hallway, he finally saw her. Flare stepped out of the adjacent apartment with a look of frustration on her face. Pointing a finger at a nearby tree branch, an orange flame shot out lighting it up. A couple of people on the floor below screamed before laughter rang through the air.

"What happened to be subtle?"

Her eyes glanced over at him with a smirk. "Who said I was the one who needed to follow it? What took you so long to find me?"

Rolling his eyes, Warren made his way over. "It's a party. People get lost. Look, Collette asked me to tell you…yellow. I'm assuming that has some meaning to you?"

Laughing, she nodded and didn't clarify. Suddenly sirens rang through the air. The cops had arrived and were breaking up the party. Her eyes floated back to Warren with a smile. Holding out a hand, she waited for him to take it. The minute his skin touched hers, they both took off running down another hallway. Passing a series of apartments, Flare slammed her shoulder into what seemed like a random door. It flew open and they ran in. Without turning the lights on, she relocked the door and rested her back against it. A minute later the sound of running and shouting officers filled the air.


	4. Chapter 4: You're Electrifying!

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything or make any profit from this.**

**Author's Note: So sorry for the delay. I've been really busy offline—both with the holidays and job hunting. I promise this story is going to be continued to the end. It's not abandoned, I just can't promise a consistent updating schedule. This chapter's going to introduce more people and even more questions. Just hang in there with me and see how this plays out. It'll make more sense as time progresses. I hope you enjoy the chapter and a belated happy new year to you all!**

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><p>The building was empty on all but one floor as a trio made their way up the staircase. Both men and their female companion walked calmly in complete silence as they dropped a small package every few stairs. The tallest of the three, Edgar, was a blonde who had a bit of an issue with knowing his strength. Each time his foot made contact with the floor, a small shock would travel through the ground. The packages they were leaving started breaking as a result. With the chaos of the police across the street, no one was paying attention to odd occurrence.<p>

As they reached their destination, the packages had ripped open completely and left piles of clay. Looking out a window, someone chuckled as a flash of flames lit up a tree in front of the nearby apartments. There was no question who had caused that event. Edgar just sighed and dropped his bag by the wall. The building had been abandoned years ago and therefore none of the doors were still there except for the entrance door. They only had 2 windows across the room to work with.

Amber, the lone female of the group, was the mediator for the night. She had already dealt with Collette's situation earlier and had just made it back in time to catch the others. Her sight and literal genius were of utmost importance tonight. Those piles of doppelgangers on the stairs would make or break this assignment. And of course all the local heroes had to be silly enough to party tonight.

She didn't get paid enough for this. Extra heroes meant more opportunity for complications. They knew what was going down tonight and they knew who was supposed to deal with it. Did they really think they would magically save the day? And all of those extra citizens to protect. No one would look the other way if they were injured or killed. Hostages had to be sacrificed if it got too ugly. Snarling slightly, she shook her head and forced herself to get back on target. They'd just have to play it by ear.

"We should set up at this window, Edgar. She wanted to be able to get a clear shot through the other one. Someone pass me one of the wires."

Amber tossed a bundle over while biting her lip gentle. Collette had looked pissed when she went after Flare half an hour ago. She just knew it would mean yet another doppelganger to design. With the way things were going, she'd have to put in another grant request just to get more materials. Edgar and his assistant were getting everything hooked up so she better start with the signals. Slipping the pen out of her back pocket, she held it out the window. Click. Click. Click. The green laser at the tip flashed rhythmically for a few seconds. Her eyes followed the light as her pupils kept readjusting in size like a camera lens. In response, a blue light flickered on in one of the first floor apartments.

"Point One is in place, Edgar. Are the first two switches ready?"

"Almost. I need a bit longer. Go ahead and check in with Point Two first. We can start there and work our way across."

"Understood."

She angled the pen up a few floors, using the same pattern with the laser. A red laser flashed for a minute before an odd siren sounded over everything else. It was rather funny to see the police officers stopping in confusion before starting to split up. A number of them ran toward the new disturbance. As they closed in on the apartment the light and sound both ceased. Back across the street the fourth member of the group, who had been waiting for the trio to arrive, stepped right behind Amber.

"Amber, switches are ready."

Waiting until the police busted into the apartment, she finally nodded. The silent companion's fingers covered the switches and sent a pulse through them. Unless you knew what to expect, it was impossible to see the electricity flying through the circuits and into the top right apartment. All four heroes watched the explosion in anticipation.

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><p>Warren's hands turned white as he steadied himself against what felt like the kitchen counter. He was really being thrown into a mission like this? Something had just exploded a few floors above them. The horrifying mixture of painful screams and vertigo left him feeling much younger than 18. This was nothing like the many role plays he had to sit through in school. Not even the few heroes he had shadowed drew a student into this level of disarray. He could sense that Flare didn't share his emotion even though he couldn't see her face. She stayed silent though he knew she was moving around.<p>

"Flare, what's going on?"

"What makes you think I know what's going on?"

He lit up his hands so she could see his glare clearly. When she simply pushed herself off the door and grinned at him, he sighed in annoyance.

"What's the plan?"

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><p>Oh, he really was too much fun. Her eyes traced over his right arm. The flame had grown a bit darker. Hearing what sounded like two bodies dropping, the grin left her face. It was time to get started.<p>

"You remember what you told me?"

Warren nodded, "Yellow".

"That's right. You remember that word as if it's your name."

Collette pulled a pen out of her corset, grabbed his unmarked wrist and dragged him through the apartment to a window. Pushing him into a chair, she slowly lifted a blind. When she was sure no one was there, she started clicking the end. A blue light flickered for a few seconds before a responding green one flashed.

"Tell me something, Warren. How good of an actor are you?"

He looked at her seriously for a moment before glancing toward the window.

"Depends on what I'm supposed to be doing."

She chuckled as she kept clicking the pen.

"Well", she replied. "If I told you I needed you to pretend you were caught on fire. Do you think you could make someone believe you were in pain long enough to slip away unnoticed?"

They shared a grin as he nodded. Of course he could. Most pyros had at least tried that excuse as a kid to get something or get out of a situation. It was in poor taste, but definitely not out of the question.

"Excellent. When I tell you to, I need you to-"

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><p>The doppelgangers had started to emerge as the minutes passed. They looked like a large crowd of pedestrians—a large crowd that, for some reason, had decided to camp out on the staircase of an abandoned building. Different individuals started to casually trickle out of the building; all of them entering into the chaos of the situation across the street. They were even screaming and shouting, making it rather confusing for anyone to tell them apart. The only discerning attribute was a tiny yellow bracelet every one of them had around their wrists.<p>

"How did they find us here? They weren't supposed to be here!"

"Of course they're here. Look at the mix of people. They'd be stupid not to try something here. Just blend in with the crowd and we'll get what we need. The cops are too distracted to catch on."

"Are you insane? Didn't you see how they split up? They weren't here simple to break up a party. They were already aware of..."

"We won't get caught. Just calm down and shut up. We're on a deadline and there's only a short time left. See that guy over there? Follow him down to the second floor and take out the informant."

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><p>"Edgar, we've got movement on the sixth floor. Point Three needs to be checked in."<p>

Edgar glanced at his assistant with a smirk. Tapping on the sheet the young man was holding, he replied, "tell me who is in Point Three".

The college student ran his hand down the list then gulped noticeably.

"Fl-Flare is in Point Three."

Edgar nodded. "Does she need to check in?"

"No, sir."

"Then stick to the protocol. The next two switches are ready. Amber, are you ready?"

The female nodded and watched out the window as her partner set another pulse. A second explosion made the sky light up as another group of police cars showed up. By this time the majority of the citizens and heroes were out on the street and out of the complex. The last of the doppelgangers were mixed into the crowd. Everything was in place and the chaos high enough for the mission to truly begin. It was a new age in the city. Unfortunately only a few would understand exactly how by the morning.


	5. Chapter 5: The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: Yep. Still not mine.**

**Author's Note: Although it feels that way, this is not going to be a "chapter a year" tradition. Hope you all enjoy it!**

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><p>"How does your head feel, young man?"<p>

Warren's eyes blinked repeatedly as the face above him refused to come into focus. The pulsating crap in his head made it difficult to listen to anything being stated. When it was obvious that the young man still wasn't coherent, the officer turned to look at his partner. Shrugging it off, they waited for the EMT before moving onto the next victim in line.

The EMT worked silently, digging into her bag for a few moments before pulling out a small rectangular bottle. The blue liquid seemed carbonated. It's color constantly shifting between navy and seafoam. Dragging a finger from her left hand across the opening, she dabbed a pressure point at the base of his neck. As if anticipating the silent scream, her hand covered his mouth while her face drew closer to his glazed eyes.

"Tell me, Warren. Who's side are you on?"

But he couldn't respond. He couldn't do anything try to regain control of his breathing. Was this was his flames felt like? Because fire was the only word flashing in his mind. An all-consuming fire that starting from the base of his neck into his throat. It was as if the poison was put directly into his veins with an unknown aim. There was just pain.

Why wouldn't the pain stop? The air suddenly seemed drier, irritatingly drier. If something brushed across his skin just wrong, it wouldn't shock him if it were to crack. The blood felt as if it were waiting to escape this sudden prison and he had no say in how it would abandon him.

Drawing his lips across his gums, he refused not trying to respond. This woman had something against him or the situation as a whole. With a painful breath, not really all that deep, something softly left his lips, though it couldn't be heard easily. It became a mantra. His distraction against the rapidly changed in his situation. The imposter's smile grew curious as she moved her ear closer, eyes always moving around to follow the officers in the room. When she finally made out what was being said, anger flashed before growing unreadable. Her gaze flickered to his arm, noting the black ink was moving upward.

Warren could hear her breathing rapidly alter. What was once calm grew more frantic. Her hold on him tensed for a second before letting up. As if never harming him was her goal, she ran the same finger across the base of his neck. Relief came across his face as the pain was gone in an instant. The glaze drifted out of his eyes, although his vision remained a bit blurry. Without another word, he felt her move away. The tapping of her boots growing further as clarity finally returned to him...

* * *

><p>"Why the yellow bracelets?"<p>

"What do you mean 'why the yellow bracelets'? That's always been her signature."

"But what good is a symbol if there's no meaning?"

"You three are talking to much. Let's find the kid and get out of here. We're behind enough as it is."

Colette hated doppelgangers today. Absolutely nothing but trouble. How did she manage to get the three most inquisitive of the group. Readjusting her hat, she peered into another room of the complex. After the last explosion, chaos was hers. Warren's distraction was working well until another super decided to try and save him. All she could hear was a slight crash before cops raided the staircase. Unable to stick around, she slipped out the back of the apartment and worked her way up.

While her team across the street was sure of their leads, she knew exactly who the informant was. Especially after not finding her at Point One. Colette covered for her during check in, but this was her revenge. She saw the bottle before picking up on the running figure who just made it onto the street. Picking up the blue bottle, she shattered it with her solid black hand. It smoked for a second before evaporating.

"So that's how you want to play this, hun? Done."

She grabbed a random doppelgangers and sent it after the betrayer. Picking up a few more on her way downstairs, she noted the area the EMTs were moving the injured to. It would take a few minutes to find Warren, but once she did-there'd be hell to pay.


End file.
